On February 9, 1964, The Beatles made their U.S. debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Sullivan was a Sunday night staple, one of the great variety shows, a TV version of vaudeville with comedians, acrobats and song-and-dance acts.

Ex-Beatle's sis recalls his Ill. visit pre-fame ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Fifty years ago Sunday, the Beatles launched the British invasion with the band's live gig on "The Ed Sullivan Show." But it's a trip a member of that Fab Four made to southern Illinois that made a bit of history of its own. Five months earlier, George Harrison became the first Beatle to cross the pond when he spent two weeks visiting his sister Louise in Benton, a small mining town. No one recognized the musician already famous in his native England. Louise Harrison recalls how her "kid brother" was able to anonymously walk Benton's streets and jam with a local band. Just five months later, people in the 7,000-resident town likely kicked themselves for not snagging the vacationing Brit's autograph or photo as proof they saw him standing there.

Today in History Today is Sunday, Feb. 9, the 40th day of 2014. There are 325 days left in the year.

Today in History:

On Feb 9:

In 1773, the ninth president of the United States, William Henry Harrison, was born in Charles City County, Va.

In 1825, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams president after no candidate received a majority of electoral votes.

In 1861, Jefferson Davis was elected provisional president of the Confederate States of America at a congress held in Montgomery, Ala.

In 1870, the U.S. Weather Bureau was established.

In 1933, the Oxford Union Society approved, 275-153, a motion "that this House will in no circumstances fight for its King and Country," a stand that was widely denounced. (On this date in 1983, the Oxford Union Society rejected, 416-187, a motion "that this House would not fight for Queen and Country.")

In 1942, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff held its first formal meeting to coordinate military strategy during World War II. Daylight-saving "War Time" went into effect in the United States, with clocks turned one hour forward.

In 1943, the World War II battle of Guadalcanal in the southwest Pacific ended with an Allied victory over Japanese forces.

In 1950, in a speech in Wheeling, W.Va., Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., charged the State Department was riddled with Communists.

In 1963, the Boeing 727 went on its first-ever flight as it took off from Renton, Wash.

In 1964, The G.I. Joe action figure was introduced at the American International Toy Fair in New York.

In 1971, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake in California's San Fernando Valley claimed 65 lives. The crew of Apollo 14 returned to Earth after man's third landing on the moon.

In 1984, Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov, 69, died 15 months after succeeding Leonid Brezhnev; he was followed by Konstantin U. Chernenko (chehr-NYEN'-koh).

In 2002, Britain's Princess Margaret, sister of Queen Elizabeth II, died in London at age 71.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush and Democratic front-runner John Kerry sparred over the president's economic leadership, while Kerry's rivals sought to slow his brisk pace. Anti-government rebels took control of nearly a dozen towns in western Haiti as the death toll in the violent uprising rose to at least 40.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama used his first news conference since taking office to urgently pressure lawmakers to approve a massive economic recovery bill. New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs, telling ESPN he'd used banned substances while with the Texas Rangers for three years. Lindsey Vonn won the downhill for her second gold at the World Championships in Val D'isere, France, becoming the second American woman (after Andrea Mead Lawrence) to win two golds at a worlds. Playwright Robert Anderson ("Tea and Sympathy") died in New York at age 91.

On February ninth, 1964, The Beatles made their first live U.S. television appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." An estimated 73 million people tuned in to watch the band perform five songs, including "I Want To Hold Your Hand."

In 1972, Wings (Paul McCartney’s group) played its first show -- unannounced and uninvited -- for students during lunchtime at Nottingham University in England. The price of admission was 33 cents.

In 1979, K-Mart pulled Steve Martin's comedy album "Let's Get Small" for being in bad taste.

In 1981, singer Bill Haley died in Harlingen, Texas, of natural causes. He was 56.

In 1997, "The Simpsons" became the longest-running prime-time animated series, beating the record previously held by "The Flintstones."

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